This Beautiful, Handcrafted Tiny Is All About Getting Back to the Basics

The idea of downsizing has changed a lot over recent years as the once-niche segment of the market became more diversified to adapt to growing demand. Today, anything from the tiniest hut on wheels to massive park models that are bigger, fancier, and more luxurious than an actual brick-and-mortar home falls under the downsizing label.

So how about getting back to the basics for once? This tiny does just that, and because of it, is an excellent example of what downsizing is all about: a new take on the idea of home, with a cleaner, less fussy, and less cluttered design, offering the basic creature comforts, and the possibility to extend living space into the surrounding nature. A downsized home is one that invites you to spend more time outside rather than indoors, which is beautifully exemplified here.

This is a handcrafted tiny done with Lawson cypress wood, with corrugate cladding on the exterior and bright red paint on the windows and door for contrast. It doesn't stand out because of its size, its finishes, or the way in which it's able to replicate a family home inside a much more compact space. It stands out because it's a by-the-book tiny home.

That's not to say it's not beautiful because it plays by the original rules of downsizing. With a very clean design and an almost rustic vibe, thanks to all the exposed wood, it would make for the perfect family home, either for a couple with kids or a couple who loves to entertain. It has a two-loft standard configuration, so it offers sleeping for as many as four people in both lofts.

The ground floor holds a generously-sized, airy living room, a spacious kitchen, and a full-size bathroom. This is a tiny home, but it doesn't lack comfort or fall short of coziness.

The tiny sits on a triple-axle trailer that can be detached for future use. You can plop the house on a piece of land on four concrete piers or any other type of suitable foundation and get a permanent residence that is traditional in its inability to move when you want it to. With a total length of 8 meters, 2.7 meters in width, and 4.25 meters in height (26 x 8.8 x 14 feet), it could remain a towable for as long as you need, pending local laws and regulations.

As is the case with most tiny houses, here, too, rooms are replaced by undefined areas that spill into one another with ease. You enter directly into the living room, which is only a couch facing the oversize French doors, and will cross into the kitchen with a couple of steps to the left. This area is almost residential in size and appliances, with a U-shaped counter and extended storage space under the stairs to the main loft. A breakfast bar by the bi-folding windows offers the chance to take your meals with a side dish of outstanding, uninterrupted views – and zero calories every single time.

You reach the main loft by means of the storage-integrating staircase, while the smaller one gets a ladder at the end of the living room couch. The bathroom is under the second loft and holds a full-size shower, a composting toilet and a sink with vanity, and space for a washing machine.

In keeping with the rustic theme, all finishes are wood, with cozy fabrics for contrast and minimal decorations. The builders chose to have everything basked in natural light, coming in through large windows, including a picture one in the living room, opposite the French doors, and another one in the kitchen.

The builder says the tiny is fully insulated, with Cavibat-R thermal break system in the walls and roof and double-glazed windows and doors. There's a Rinnai A26 Hot Water Califont and RV-style hookups for water and electricity, but the house is also pre-wired for solar, in case the owner will want to take it off the grid at some point.

If you're familiar with tiny houses, you must know that most get personalized names. This unit doesn't have one yet, but only because it's waiting for an owner to come along: it's listed for sale at NZD135,000 (US$83,900 at the current exchange rate). For those of us not in the market to buy but simply window-shopping or looking for inspiration, it can deliver on both counts. This is what downsizing is all about: trading a large home in the suburbs for a miniature version that will allow intentional living with its uncluttered, basic, and cozy design.